BLADE RUNNER 2009 – A PREQUEL
by Joao Luis
Summary: A short story of how Blade Runners came to be...


BLADE RUNNER 2009 – A PREQUEL  
By Joao Luis

The year is 2009  
Nuclear War has devasted much of the Western coast of the United States of America.  
Emigration to off world colonies is the solution for much of the skilled white population.  
A new startup firm has made progress in artificial intelligence to produce slave androids to serve these wealthy colonists. The Tyrell corporation has produced its Nexus 2 model with genetic engineering instead of mechanics. These are not robots, they are called Replicants.

Dawn is soon upon us. As I drive my state issued Peugot e.v. through the arid wasteland I wonder why should someone choose to hide out in these parts where nothing happens, where nothing grows, where there is scarcely anything to eat. You can get killed for a can of pre-war dog food out here and no one would look twice at your corpse.  
I can see the sign that says "Algarb" 2 miles away. We call it little Portugal. Back in the 60's a group of illegal emigrants established a community to get away from civilization and political persecution from their fascist government. They had no money, no electricity, no jobs. Living off the land and trading goods and services kept the small settlement alive. After the nukes hit nobody really heard of these small towns anymore. It was off to space or the big towns where apartments were plenty and food was scarce but attainable.  
As I entered town the first sun rays cast an eerie light over these shabby houses that tingles the back of my neck. The narrow streets are littered with kipple. There are no cars or people. The simple dwellings once white are derelict and greyish. My road assistant tells my to turn on to a small lane where one house is. I stop the car and check my radiation meter. 4000 msv. It seems bearable if I don't take too long.  
As I cross the messed up patio I notice 20 meters to my right a dog. It was just sitting there looking at me. No expression whatsoever. Must be electric. I play it safe and walk to the left side of the house. There is a window smashed out and a door. I try the knob and it is open. Inside I immediately smell a mixture of stale food and burnt tobacco. Through the corridor I can see there is a room with a flickering light that I recognize as a TV set. So I go in and there she was. Sitting next to the solar powered set a woman in her 30s was gazing at me with a half cigarette in her right hand. I could hardly see her face, just the contour of her 50 kg slim figure.  
"Who are you and what do you want?" She said.  
"I work for the L.A. police ma'am"  
The news was announcing another new curfew for San Francisco and Las Vegas. In the corners two publicity boxes were bloating out how TDK memory chips were all you needed for your Alzheimer and Pan Am was giving out free green cards for a trip to Mars.  
"Are you going to arrest me or just annoy me to death" she sounded emotionless.  
"You knew someone would come eventually. I just need some information"  
"I know nothing and I don't answer stupid questions so you can get the fuck out of my house right now" she let the smoke out through her nostrils in disdain.  
"Hey you don't need to get all mad at me. I came all the way to this hellhole to find someone and I'm pretty sure you know who I'm looking for" and how I was going to convince her to give me some intel was the trickiest part of my mission...  
"What's in it for me?" Well now she was showing a bit of collaboration.  
"Maybe realizing you are done for living out here alone and moving back to civilization could save you. And your dog" Let's see if she wants to do the right thing I was hoping.  
"Yeah. That would be great, wouldn't it? Maybe he would just get run over on day one or be eaten alive by those pesky chinks in the streets" her expression just didn't lighten up.  
"Animal suffering just caught your imagination huh?" this was all I needed to confirm my objective.  
She suddenly reached for the back of the TV set to get something that she had certainly planted there when she heard my car pull up. I leaped forward and just in time I grabbed her stretched arm. She tried to push me with her right hand but instead hurled her whole body over me and made me fall backward with her on top like a possessed wildling. Now her right hand was on my throat pressing on my larynx to try and choke me for certain. I was still holding her left arm which was now holding the gun and my left hand was trying to free my neck from her hellish grasp. She was way stronger then she seemed at first so in just a few seconds that seemed like hours I was starting to feel that my life was slipping away right there and then. In a final moment of truth I let go of her chocking hand and reached inside my left pocket to pull out my service knife and in one swift click and arc I landed a relentless stab to her neck.  
She immediately let go of the gun and her grasp, clutching my hand, and knowing in an instant that the gushing wound would be her demise. After no more than one agonizing and screeching minute she collapsed on top of me. I pushed her aside. She was dead.  
I took out my Sony satellite mobile phone and quick dialed to Central. "Officer Voight calling for Sergeant Bryant"  
"Did you get that skin job?" He asked.  
"Yes I did. She has an electric dog and didn't care much if it was eaten alive. These Replicants put up a hell of a fight though. I am getting a bit tired of having to run after them and get my blade out to rip their eyeball out, you know... You should call in that rookie, Deckard I think it was what they call him".  
I was all splattered in blood and still had an eye to gauge.  
I went outside to where the dog was sitting. He wasn't there. But right the on the ground where he was I could now see a dead flower and a small wooden board with a name and some numbers painted on it. RAECHEL 10.06.05.  
I drew out my phone again and dialed another number.  
"Mr. Tyrell? Yes I found your niece. I'm afraid she didn't survive the blast. The nanny snatched her and was hiddening out in a place called Algarb. It means the west in arabic. Memories are all you have now sir I understand. Here they call it Saudade. Feelings for her. For Raechel. You'll get over it. I hope."  
As I drove back to L.A. the smog and rain settled in. From the car satellite I voice-called " get me Dr. Kampff"  
"Richard? It's John. I'm quitting the force. This bounty stuff isn't for me. I was thinking of you and me teaming up to do some work on that Iris machine you were developing to detect liars. Maybe it works on Replicants too".  
...


End file.
